There are obviously hundreds of players that will step on the pitches in Brazil, but for the teams that think they have a chance to hoist the gold trophy on July 13, there are players that are so vital to the challenge that they are almost irreplaceable. Lets take a look at ten of those such players, in no particular order.

Sergio Busquets, Defensive Midfielder, Spain: Busquets sits in the middle of the park and breaks up the opposing attack, and every once in a while he will roll around on the floor like he has been attacked with a wrench. Well, maybe more than once in a while. But he is very important to the Spanish side. He allows Andres Iniesta, Pedro, Koke, and the rest of the flair players a chance to get on the ball.

Luka Modric, Center Midfielder, Croatia: Croatia has a chance to advance, with Modric and his partner in the middle of the pitch, Ivan Rakitic, running the show. He became one of Real Madrid’s main men this season, and if he continues his fine form into the tournament, the opening match against Brazil tomorrow could be interesting. High work rate, always working to win the ball back for his team, and pin-point passing are his strong suits.

Luis Suarez, Forward, Uruguay: The man can score goals. He is coming off a knee meniscus injury, and should be healthy enough to go for the opening match against Cost Rica Saturday. Uruguay have won the cup twice in South America, and after a semifinal berth in 2010, it will look to go all the way to the final. He is a pest. He cheats (ask Ghana about the 2010 World Cup quarterfinal), he dives, but he puts the ball in the net. If he can continue his club form for his country, Uruguay can join the party in the round-of-16.

Wayne Rooney, Forward, England: He has the weight of England on his shoulders. He needs to have a solid tournament for the Three Lions to get out of the group. But lets be honest, is it ever only about getting out of the group with the English? Talented dropping deeper for the ball, or as a striker, Rooney is destined to be a lightning rod either way as the talisman of the team.

Paul Pogba, Center Midfield, France: A young dynamo in the center of the park. Pogba, the youngest on this list, has plenty of attacking talent in front of him for Les Bleus. Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema will score the goals, but Pogba can come up with one when needed. France is under the radar, but will not be for long if it wins all three group stage matches. Pogba has to stay on the field; he has a habit of picking up yellow cards, and any suspension, especially in the knockout rounds, will prove costly for his team.

Andrea Pirlo, Center Midfield, Italy: The bearded magician, who has been around for many a cup run, is back to help the Italians. They have a tough match right away, Saturday night in the Manaus jungle against England, and Pirlo will hope to run the show like he did in the 2012 European Championship quarterfinal. Smooth on the ball, with a deft touch, Pirlo must get the forwards involved if Italy is to make a run to the finals like in 2012.

Eden Hazard, Forward, Belgium: Still young, and coming onto the grand stage for the first time, Hazard was the best player in the Premier League for its first six months, before an injury derailed his, and Chelsea’s, season. He is extra quick on the ball, and has the ability to blow past a defender with ease. He is one of the faces of the Belgian side, who have gone from under the radar to smack dab in the center of the hype machine. If he scores goals, and assists Lukaku, Belgium can win the cup.

Toni Kroos, Center Midfield, Germany: Kroos steps into the void in the middle of the pitch. He will be the engine for the powerful German attack. He was dragged off the pitch in the second half many times for Bayern Munich, and is in the middle of a transfer battle between Real Madrid and Manchester United, so a big showing here, as part of a deep Germany run, is in the cards for Kroos.
Lionel Messi, Forward, Argentina: The four time world player of the year has never really clicked in the blue and white Argentine kit. He has so much attacking talent around him, with Sergio Agüero, Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuaín, and Ezequiel Lavezzi shouldering some of the scoring load. It is now time for Messi to step up and play to his elite level in a big tournament for Argentina, and lead his team to what many think is a showdown with Brazil in the final.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Forward, Portugal: The best player in the world right now. Ronaldo won the play-off with Sweden and Zlatan Ibrahimovi almost by himself, and will most likely need to be at the top of his game for a month, if Portugal is to win the title. He seems to get better every year, as witnessed by his club form at Real Madrid the past few seasons. Ronaldo loves the big stage, and coming off a Champions League title last month, he would like nothing more than to add the title of world champion to his CV.